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By Vicki Hess
More than 800 healthcare leaders responded to the Voices of Healthcare Management™ survey I recently completed, and an interesting insight they shared is that that one of the top 3 most challenging engagement behaviors for leaders is taking time for reflection and self-awareness. I’m not surprised, are you? If you pulled out your calendar right now, where would “reflection” show up? I’m guessing nowhere. What if your boss walked into your office and you were sitting behind your desk with a faraway look on your face thinking? You might be embarrassed and thought of as "wasting time." That couldn’t be farther from the truth. We know that self-awareness and self-management are two key elements of emotional intelligence. We also know that emotional intelligence is a critical skill for getting along in the world. The great news is that these two skills can be learned and practiced through reflection. According to Barbara Mackoff, in Nurse Manager Engagement: Strategies for Excellence and Commitment, engaged (nurse) managers leverage lessons from experience. They look for clues about themselves and others in the workplace and observe the effect of their own behavior on others. It makes sense that these behaviors would apply to everyone in an organization, regardless of your role. Here are 3 ideas to jumpstart your reflection abilities: 1. When something good happens and you are feeling satisfied, energized and productive (AKA engaged), stop and reflect on how your behaviors contributed to the positive results. 2. You know what’s coming next. When you experience results that you aren’t happy with, stop and reflect on how your behaviors contributed to the negative outcome. 3. Build reflection into your day with intention. Before you dive in to start your next project, stop and reflect on your progress to date. Take 2 minutes to sit quietly and think about what you want to accomplish and how things are going so far. Taking time for reflection and self-awareness allows you to find joy in your own work and to connect to others in a more positive way. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success!
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By Vicki Hess
Have you ever noticed how feelings of joy might be fleeting, but anger seems to stick around? I’m working on a new keynote about resilience called Journey to Joy™ and this process has me thinking a lot about joy and anger. We have all experienced anger at work. According to Science of People, “psychologists have discovered that there are three causes of anger:
It’s easy to see how healthcare professionals in all roles can experience these causes at work…especially #1. When you’re angry your body releases stress hormones that lead to a fight or flight response. Over time, if anger persists, these hormones can lead to headaches, increased blood pressure and more. The external ramifications of anger may also include damaged relationships and work-related performance issues. When you’re cool, calm and collected, this all makes sense but in the heat of the moment, when your hot buttons are being pushed, it can be difficult. What most folks want to know is what to do with the anger. It’s not good to ignore those feelings. Repressing the anger can lead to a bigger burst down the road and that’s not healthy either. My suggestion is to SHIFT from anger to joy. Some of you have heard me speak or read my work about SHIFTing your POWs to WOWs and these steps may look familiar. Here are 5 steps to shrink the anger and choose joy:
Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Vicki Hess
I was at a yoga class recently and the teacher was reminding us to focus on our inhale and exhale – the yin & yang of breathing. It was a great reminder that inhaling all the time doesn’t work. We need to stop to exhale – to disengage – to fill up again. Don’t worry, the newsletter isn’t a Zen diatribe (is there such a thing) on finding your true self (although that might be a good one for the future – haha). Today is all about letting go in order to be more engaged. It’s easy to get stuck and feel disengaged at work. We often see others around us who feel overwhelmed or out of sorts due to rapid change, heavy workloads, drama in the workplace and more. That’s why we need to disengage and create some distance (mental and/or physical). Distance gives a new perspective. New perspectives change beliefs and mindsets. New beliefs and mindsets change actions. New actions change outcomes. Try these 3 ideas to reconnect to what makes you feel satisfied, energized & productive (AKA engaged)... 1. Disengage fully. Take time off. Have fun. Relax. Explore. Disconnect. Find joy in serving others. Do what makes your boat float. 2. Disengage from a specific situation. Just because something happens around you at work, it doesn’t mean you must join in whatever is happening. If one of your coworkers is felling the pull of The Chain Gang (AKA disengagement), you can walk away. Choose another direction. Choose a new perspective (see above). 3. Disengage from circumstances that are out of your control. If there’s a systemic issue that you encounter and you don’t have the ability to change whatever is happening, then disengage. Use the rule of 3 related to complaining about something. You can complain to 3 different people and then disengage. After a while, complaining is just a way we hurt ourselves. As you go about your day today, think about the yin/yang of engagement. Where can you disengage to engage and create your own Professional Paradise? Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Vicki Hess
I love following up with folks who hear me speak to learn about how they are using the tools and resources that I share in my talks. I was excited to learn that Amy Boyce (who heard me speak at a conference) and her team in outpatient radiology at the Center for Advanced Medicine, South County, Barnes Jewish Hospital, had achieved 100% engagement on their last survey. I was going to St. Louis, MO so we set up a time for me to visit. I wanted to see in person what 100% engagement looks like. I was curious to learn about their “secret sauce”. I arrived and found Amy waiting for me at the front entrance as promised. Amy is a strong leader who is committed to the employees and patients she serves. Her sincerity and genuine interest in creating the best possible workplace came through during my visit. I could tell that managing this team is what makes Amy feel satisfied, energized and productive at work (AKA engaged). As I met each member of the team I asked, “What makes this department so special?” To a person, they responded, “We’re a family." Here are some of the things Amy and the team shared that are responsible for their high level of engagement: Hire for engagement. They don’t settle for someone who is good technically but isn’t willing to put in the work to support others on the team. They have interviewed dozens of people for an open position and would rather cover the open position than hire the wrong person. Don’t put up with bad attitudes. The turnover that the department has experienced has been positive with folks being held accountable for their interactions. If you don’t give your patients and job responsibilities your all, you aren’t going to last here. Have each other’s back. Each member of the team mentioned how they look out for each other and make sure everyone has the support they need. They successfully work in small spaces with very high productivity because of their teamwork. Everyone is a leader. The group decided they didn’t need a “lead” tech or nurse because they all see themselves as leaders. Each person is capable of being “in charge” to meet the needs of patients and co-workers. They cover for each other and make sure that their patients get the best care possible. As a result, they consistently score well on patient experience surveys. Visible and supportive supervisor. Amy is physically and mentally present with her team. She frequently rounds with staff to make sure they are having a good day at work. She removes obstacles and provides needed tools and resources. She is a good listener and pays attention to the engagement level of the team members. As you can see, there is no “secret sauce”. But of course, you probably already knew that. Working on employee engagement is like getting in shape. There aren’t any secrets, it takes consistent work overtime to achieve positive outcomes. Every item above is achievable in any workplace. I loved the time I spent visiting with the outpatient radiology team at Barnes Jewish. Their smiles are contagious. Their sincerity is refreshing and their work ethic is remarkable. Congratulations on creating your very own Professional Paradise! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Vicki Hess
Most employees don’t care about employee engagement but they do want to have a good day at work. Would you agree? Having a good day at work is the best reward for putting in the effort of showing up and doing your best. The great news is that “good day” is defined differently for everyone. When I wrote SHIFT to Professional Paradise, I asked over 1,000 people: “What makes you happy at work? Here are the top 4 responses:
Here’s more great news. You are in control of all of each of these! Imagine showing up for work with a mindset that says “I can’t wait to get work done. I’m excited about who I get to work with and our team. I’m going to appreciate those around me.” What if everyone showed up with that mindset. That would be Professional Paradise! Unfortunately, old habits get in the way and old, unproductive, mindsets rear their ugly head. Sometimes we forget to intentionally have a good day at work and get sucked into the tide of others’ negativity. So here is where the Triggers come in. I speak and write about creating Gratitude Triggers on a regular basis. A Gratitude Trigger is using something that routinely happens as a reminder to be grateful. Many people use meal time as that trigger and say “thank you” for the food they are about to eat. Let’s apply the same idea to engagement at work. My definition of engagement is when you are satisfied, energized and productive. What’s already going on in your day that you could use as a trigger to connect with that? Some ideas that might work are:
During all these times, your mind is free to think about something good that’s happened recently. You can smile about something you’ve accomplished or someone you enjoyed talking with or appreciation you have given or received. Start small with one engagement trigger and add more as you get comfortable with consciously focusing on your good day at work. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Vicki Hess
Happy New Year! To start out the year, I’d like you to think about the answer to this question: "Is your boss a mind reader?" Most likely, your response is a resounding "no." I’ve never met a real mind reader (that I know of), so I’m assuming that they are few and far between. To save you from having to try and read my mind, I’ll get right to the point. If your boss can’t read your mind, then why would you expect him or her to know what makes you feel satisfied, energized & productive (AKA engaged) at work? I think lots of folks wish their manager would spend more time getting to know them to better understand what makes them tick. I see others who wish their boss would take charge of their engagement by fixing all the external broken things and solving all the day-to-day problems. Here’s the news for 2017: Engagement is an inside job. You are the boss of your own engagement. Here are a couple of ideas for how to avoid the mind-reading trap and create your own Professional Paradise right now... 1. Get really clear about what puts a skip in your step at work. What are those things that make time fly? Common responses that I hear are “getting work done”, “positive connections with coworkers” and “learning new things”. Of course your answers might be different – there are no right or wrong responses. When you know what makes you feel engaged, then you are more likely to notice it when it happens. 2. Sit down one-on-one with your supervisor and share what makes you feel satisfied, energized & productive at work. You don’t need to wait until he or she schedules the meeting – just ask for the time and share your agenda. Sure, it would be nice if your boss initiated this conversation, but you don’t have to wait. No need to point fingers or lay blame, just professionally discuss those things that up your engagement factor. Be sure to include ways that you could more regularly connect with these things (ie, if you like learning new things – offer to be on a project team). When you are engaged at work, it benefits you, your customers and the organization as a whole so your boss should be happy you asked for this meeting. Engagement is a shared responsibility. Sometimes managers get it right and sometimes they don’t. There’s no reason why you can’t be the catalyst for the conversation if your boss hasn’t stepped up to do it. No fancy mind reading…just good old-fashioned face-to-face conversation! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By Vicki Hess
Have you heard of any these lately? “It’s not fair!” “My boss is never around – how can she understand?” “You’ve got to be kidding, they want us to do what?” “Wah, Wah, Wah” I’m running into a lot of overworked people these days. People everywhere are reporting higher productivity goals, longer working hours and less satisfying work. It’s a big bummer! I get it. I have bad days at work too. Yes, even though I talk about being the Chief Paradise Officer (CPO) of my job, I still get bogged down in the “work” part of work every now and again. It’s no fun. Sometimes I forget I can be in the driver’s seat and steer my work experience in any direction I want. Sound familiar? Guess what? It doesn’t matter that crummy things happen at work. Unfortunately, unless you’re in charge of everything (and even sometimes when you are), you probably can’t do anything to put a stop to all the frustrations that pop up. Of course, you should spend time using process improvement efforts to minimize challenges that are within your control…who wouldn’t want to do that? But, the Blame Game has never been one of my favorites. Let’s talk about boosting your own job satisfaction by getting the driver’s seat. I have a morning meditation practice. Recently, the guided meditation was about promoting inner happiness. I love that. I love connecting to someplace WITHIN ME – not having to count on anyone else – to find my own joy and well-being. Don’t you? If you aren’t sure how to meditate, check out Insight Timer – a free app for meditating that is super easy to use and has meditations from 1 minute to many. Here are several easy to implement, high impact ideas for taking back control of your own job satisfaction and engagement. Pick a few that seem realistic to incorporate into your life RIGHT NOW so that you too, can officially claim the title of Chief Paradise Officer! 1) Take Good Care of Yourself ◦ Meditate (see the link above) ◦ Stretch (your body and mind) ◦ Do fun things (whatever that means to you) ◦ Read (inspirational books) ◦ Sing (songs that make you Happy) ◦ Run around (playing sports, chasing kids, by yourself) ◦ Relax (without electronics) ◦ Sleep (make it a priority and create positive routines) ◦ Create Gratitude Triggers™ (every morning or night write down 5 things you are grateful for) ◦ Believe (in whatever makes you feel grateful and joyful) 2) Decide to be the Chief Paradise Officer of your Life ◦ Believe (that it’s possible to enjoy work) ◦ Smile (fake it until you make it) ◦ Be nice to others (they are struggling too) ◦ Stop complaining (no one wants to hear about it) ◦ Breathe (over and over, deeply) ◦ Quit taking things personally (unless you’ve been really mean, it’s not personal) ◦ Take a break (you deserve it and you’ll do better work if you take one) ◦ Give yourself permission to be happy (put that skip back in your step) Let me know how you improve your job satisfaction - I’m interesting in hearing from you! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By Vicki Hess
If you're a leader, you're spending time and money on employee engagement whether you mean to or not. You are either doing it reactively or proactively. In the reactive mode, you end up spending time with "Chain Gang Members" (my term for disengaged employees) listening to complaints or coaching for improvement again and again. When things continue to go downhill, you end up managing turnover and all of it's associated costs and headaches. Think this isn't costing you money? Think again! According to the Society for Human Resource Management, when a nurse whose annual compensation and benefits are $75,000 decides to leave the organization, the total cost is $41,000! Still think you don't have time? Think again! The other option is to proactively address employee engagement. Here's what that looks like.
Hopefully you're starting to feel motivated to make employee engagement part of the fabric of what you do as a leader. Because if you think you aren't spending time and money focusing on it...think again! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success!  By Vicki Hess
Happiness at work is a hot topic. You probably hear people talking about it in the hallways and break rooms. Whose job is it to make folks happy at work? You won’t be surprised that I’m going to say that the primary responsibility lies with the individual (that’s you) to create his or her own Professional Paradise. In thoughtful moments, that’s the only logical response; however, there are times when senior leaders, managers, coworkers and customers/patients all impact the equation. As with most things at work, It’s a shared responsibility. Now that we have the responsibly piece cleared up, let’s get more specific. What are things that positively influence your ability to be satisfied, energized & productive? Take a quick break. Stop what you’re working on and jot down your answers. To prompt your brainstorming, here are two things that I frequently hear that positively influence someone’s ability to be satisfied, energized & productive:
Give yourself a few minutes to think. There’s no rush. Include at least 6 answers on your list. Go beyond the top of mind responses and dig a little deeper. The answers are different for everyone and there are no incorrect responses. Now that you’ve made your list, the next step is to “code” the list according to who is responsible for each influencer. M = Myself L = My Leader O = Organization/Senior Leaders I recently asked this question at a workshop for healthcare leaders and frontline staff. We focused on the “M” and “L” categories because those are within the span of control of the participants. It’s fine to list things that are influenced by the Organization/Senior Leaders…you just have to be willing to follow up with those folks to prompt change in those areas. Here’s the great news. The items that you listed with an “M” can be influenced TODAY and tomorrow and the next day. You’ve got the power to create your own Professional Paradise no matter what is happening around you and your coworkers do too. Take it to the Team Imagine the power of this discussion with the whole team. Those Chain Gang Members (disengaged employees) will not like the responses that include an “M” because it’s always easier to point fingers and blame others for creating our own happiness at work. When you do that, you can remain a passenger who waits for others to fix everything. If you are reading this, I’m hoping you are a Chief Paradise Officer who wants to be in the driver’s seat. I’m hoping you are a leader who wants to support those on your team as they create their own Professional Paradise. Wrapping up, the last step is to write down one or two things you could do today to be more satisfied, energized & productive. This can’t be something you need someone else’s help with. It’s all about you. Because at the end of the day, that’s the only person you can totally influence so why not start there. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! |
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